Casting floats



April 28, 1964 F. E. GRAHAM 3,130,515

CASTING FLOATS Fiied Aug. 18, 1961 62-? Gun, fan- United States Patent 3,130,515 CASTING FLOATS Francis E. Graham, 116 Avenue Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Aug. 18, 1951, Ser. No. 132,884 4 Claims. (till. 43-4311) My invention relates to casting floats, an object being to provide a float assembly of the character herewithin described by means of which the leading portion of a fishing line may be held wound upon a leader-line retaining device as the float is cast through the air, instead of being strung out over several feet during this performance, whereby a longer and more sensorially satisfying cast may be made, and whereby the extreme endtackle comprising sinker, bait, hook and the like, may be caused to separate from proximity to the float only after all of it and the float hit the water.

A further object of 'the present invention is to provide a device of the character described which includes a line braking device which is extremely simple structurally, through which the line may ver-y'easily and conveniently be placed, and by means of which the degree of braking tightness may be varied according to choice.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character described in which, when in the winding-in process the float comes up against the rodend, further winding-in may be continued against brakeresistance until all end tackle has reached the rod-end.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which has a desired degree of both buoyancy and stability after unwinding.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects as may appear as this specification proceeds, the present invention consists in the following arrangement and construction of parts, all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying figures in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmented but predominately crosssectional vertical elevation of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged plan view of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged underside plan View of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lower portion of FIGURE 1 depicting my apertured plate in its position of Widest separation from the buoyant body.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary representation of my invention in side elevation but showing the apertured plate locked up against the underside of the body.

In the drawings like characters of reference designate similar parts in the several figures.

My invention comprises, in combination, a buoyant body collectively designated 1, the same being circular and somewhat domed for preference as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is also provided with a central, open-ended aperture 2, a pair of secondary, diametrically disposed and parallel apertures 3, and an underside surface 4 which is radially recessed at intervals from outer perimeter to aperture 2, for the convenient reception of a portion of the lead-line 5 of a fishing line as will hereinafter become apparent.

Associated with body 1 is my leader-line retaining device collectively designated 6. This device in detail comprises a disc shaped plate 7, provided with a central aperture 8 in registration with aperture 2, and a plurality of smaller apertures 9 near the outer rim 16 thereof.

Projecting downwardly from the underside of plate 7 is a set of prongs 10 each preferably though not essentially provided with a short outwardly angulated portion 11 by the inclusion of which, a line may more conven- 3,l3,5l5 Patented Apr. 28, 1964 iently be wound around prongs 10 without inadvertently getting behind plate 7 and around the pair of shafts 12 as will presently become more apparent.

The aforesaid prongs are attached as by soldering to plate 7, and, also attached by such means to the opposite face of the said plate is the aforesaid pair of shafts 12 which are designed to extend loosely through apertures or passageways 3.

Projecting downwardly from the undersurface of body '1 and intended to project through apertures 9 is a circumferentially arranged set of line-intercepting prongs 13.

At the upper end of body I, opposite to that at which plate 7 is located, is my line braking device collectively designated 14. The same is co-terminous with the upper ends of shafts I2 and will now be described.

Line braking device 14 comprises in combination a pa r of divergent spring prongs 15 on opposite sides of a central stem 16 screw-threaded at 17 to receive a thimble 18. The thimble 18 is provided with a carnmed inner surface I9 and upon rotation moves leftwardly or rightwardly with respect to stem 16. In the position of the accompanying FIGURE 2 leader Sis shown approaching the space between the distal end of the prongs 15 and the entrance to thimble 18.

Overlying the roots of prongs 15 is a loop 2!) of the configuration best depicted in the accompanying FIG- URE 2. The left end of loop 29 and the roots of prongs 15 are soldered to the left one of shafts 12. In manufacture both the left and right shafts may be formed of a shingle U-bent piece of Wire with loop 269 overlying the same and the prongs 15 beneath.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when leader 5 has been inserted as aforesaid and thimble is rotated, one of the prongs will bind or grip the leader between it and stem 16. The more the thimble is rotated so as to be moved toward loop 2:), the more tightly will the leader be held.

Having thus described my invention, its operation will be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings and at the outset it should be explained that the position of my line retaining assembly depicted in FIGURE 1 is an arbitrary one mainly used for descriptive purposes.

In the winding of leader 5 prior to making a cast, braking device 14 will preferably but not necessarily be held downwardly against the upper surface 21 of body 1. Then plate 7 will be fully projected downwardly the maximum distance from the base surface of the aforesaid body as depicted in the accompanying FIGURE 4.

Now leader 5 after being passed through central aperture 2 (and the corresponding aperture 8 of plate 7) is pulled outwardly between one of the prongs It) and then wound around the outside of these prongs usually to Within two or three inches of its end.

The provision of the short outwardly projecting portions 11 is to help prevent the leader from being prematurely wound over the rim It} and into space 22;.

When the leader has been wound to a suifieient extent around prongs It) as best depicted in the accompanying FIGURE 3, the remainder is brought first under one of these prongs and is next guided over rim 10 into space 22. There it is hooked behind the nearest prong 13. Immediately after this the plate 7 is moved against surface 4 as depicted in the accompanying FIGURE 5 so that prongs 13 lock the leader in place by projecting through apertures 9. Thereafter leader 5 is guided out of space 22 so that the end hangs over the rim. This is the position in which a cast is made. Obviously upon striking the water, the weight of my line retaining assembly collectively will cause it to drop into the position of FIGURE 4 while the buoyant body floats. This releases the leader from its prong 13 so that it unwinds 3 from prongs iii, and unravels into the water to the desired depth.

Since various modifications can be made in the invention hereinbefore described, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and numerous variations made thereto all Within the spirit and scope of the invention Without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that the said description and drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative only, and not in a limiting sense, and that only such limitations should be placed upon my invention as are specifically contained in the definition thereof as expressed in the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A casting floa assembly comprising in combination an open-ended buoyant body and a leader-line retaining device in association with said body, said line retaining de ice at least including an apertured plate, at least one line-winding prong projecting from said plate, at least one line intercepting prong projecting from said body, means for maintaining said plate so connected to said body that the former is free to move at right angles to its plane toward and away from said body, said line intercepting prong extending through an aperture in said plate when the latter is nearest said body.

2. The float according to claim 1 wherein said body has a line braking device mounted thereon and wherein said line retaining device is located at the base of said body as regarded in floating position.

3. A casting float assembly including a buoyant body, and comprising in combination a leader-line retaining device including an apertured plate, and a line braking device, said line braking device being positioned at the opposite end of said body to that at which said line retaining device is located, and including at least one springbiased prong, a stem against which said prong moves for locking said line between said prong and said stem, and a thimble also movable on said stem toward and away from said prong, said thimble having an inner surface which is cammed as viewed in diametrical cross-section to receive the distal end of said prong.

4. The float according to claim 3 in which said stem is externally screw-threaded, and said thimble is internally screw-threaded for rotary movement on said stem toward and away from said prong.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,529,179 Oberholtzer Nov. 7, 1950 2,694,878 Martens Nov. 23, 1954 2,787,079 Wilson Apr. 2, 1957 2,963,813 Graham Dec. 13, 1960 

1. A CASTING FLOAT ASSEMBLY COMPRISING IN COMBINATION AN OPEN-ENDED BUOYANT BODY AND A LEADER-LINE RETAINING DEVICE IN ASSOCIATION WITH SAID BODY, SAID LINE RETAINING DEVICE AT LEAST INCLUDING AN APERTURED PLATE, AT LEAST ONE LINE-WINDING PRONG PROJECTING FROM SAID PLATE, AT LEAST ONE LINE INTERCEPTING PRONG PROJECTING FROM SAID BODY, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID PLATE SO CONNECTED TO SAID BODY THAT 